2 arrested for distributing electoral material

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: Two persons on Saturday were arrested for distributing electoral material near a polling center in southern Karbala, according to an official local source. “Police forces captured two persons while they were distributing electoral material near al-Banafsag center in al-Ghadeer neighborhood (3 km south of Karbala city),” the source told IraqiNews.com news agency. “Those arrested have violated the rules set by the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), which prevent all forms of electoral advertising 24 hours before elections,” the source added. Voters have been heading to polling stations in Baghdad and 13 other Iraqi provinces since 07:00 a.m. Saturday to elect their representatives in the country’s provincial councils amidst tight security measures. Over 15 million voters from 14 out of Iraq’s 18 provinces will participate in this election, according to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC). Security personnel, prisoners sentenced to less than five years and hospital inmates cast their votes in the special voting, held on Wednesday (Jan. 28). The holy Shiite city of Karbala lies 110 km southwest of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. SS (S) 1